If you’ve been watching “Vanderpump Rules” since the beginning—long before James Kennedy’s iconic “Pumptini” line went viral on TikTok, or Scandoval rocked the nation—then you know the Fried Goat Cheese Balls are like a character of their own on the popular Bravo show.
Not only are the goat cheese balls beloved by customers—so much so that they’re served at almost every one of Lisa Vanderpump’s restaurants—but the “VPR” cast has been known to order them frequently on the show. The appetizer originated at Sur, one of Vanderpump’s West Hollywood restaurants, and is now served at TomTom in West Hollywood and Vanderpump co*cktail Garden in Las Vegas.
Despite the fact that they’re simply just a ball of fried goat cheese, they remain a favorite at the restaurants and are a much-requested recipe from Bravo lovers. Luckily, Lisa Vanderpump is not one to gatekeep her secrets, so she shared the recipe on her blog, “Very Vanderpump,” which she runs with her daughter Pandora.
Additionally, ex-cast member Kristen Doute shared her version of the Fried Goat Cheese Balls recipe with our sister brand, People, a few years back. Doute’s recipe is a little different, however, so I decided to stick with the Vanderpumps' recipe.
With the explosive "Vanderpump Rules" reunion coming up, I knew I had to try the recipe so I could make the iconic goat cheese balls for my watch party. Here's how it went, and whether or not they lived up to the hype.
I Tried the "Vanderpump Rules" Goat Cheese Balls
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I’ve had the pleasure of eating the real goat cheese balls at Vanderpump co*cktail Garden in Caesars Palace in Vegas—and, trust me, they live up to the hype. So naturally I was curious to see how to the at-home version would compare. I used “Very Vanderpump’s” recipe to keep it authentic, plus it’s only three ingredients.
Now, the Fried Goat Cheese Balls are served differently at each one of Vanderpump’s restaurants, so this recipe is for the Sur-specific Fried Goat Cheese Balls served with a mango sauce. I didn’t make the mango sauce, but you could also serve them with white balsamic, like at TomTom, or with a poppyseed dressing, like at Vanderpump co*cktail Garden.
How To Make the "Vanderpump Rules" Goat Cheese Balls
Making the appetizer is embarrassingly simple. Just cut a log of goat cheese into even-sized pieces and roll them into balls. One note: The recipe calls for 8 ounces of goat cheese to yield 10 balls. I used an 8.5-ounce log of goat cheese and got 15 balls out of it.
I’d recommend adding the salt and pepper to the bread crumb mixture instead of the cheese so that they’re better seasoned. Additionally, make sure to roll each ball in the egg mixture and bread crumbs twice, because that will lock the goat cheese in and ensure it doesn’t seep out while frying.
Then, chill the goat cheese balls in the fridge for 12 hours, or in the freezer for at least 30 minutes; I chose the freezer for about an hour. I think an hour in the freezer was enough time, but I do wish that I took them out in batches instead of all at once. My last batch was almost room-temperature by the time it went into the oil, so some of the goat cheese balls did split open and seep out.
Overall, they’re super easy to make, and while it’s a little bit of a messy process from the rolling to the frying, it’s totally worth it. I don’t usually like frying food because no matter what it is it always leaves my house smelling like a church fish fry, but I'd absolutely make these goat cheese balls again.
I actually don’t think they need a dressing or sauce, but I did end up adding a little dollop of Bonne Maman jam on a couple of the goat cheese balls. It was a revelation—the perfect mix of sweet and savory and tangy. During my "Vanderpump Rules" watch party, I’ll probably serve the goat cheese balls alongside a charcuterie board where jams and honey are available for dipping or topping.
Now, next time that new Uber One commercial comes on and Scheana Shay sings, “We could be goat cheese ballin’,” just know that you, too, could (and should!) be goat cheese ballin’ with this recipe.
